Shoplifting addict who raked in £10,000 worth of goods admits: 'I'm GLAD I was caught'

Shoplifting addict who raked in £10,000 worth of goods admits: 'I'm GLAD I was caught'

THIEF Kristina Roberts stole thousands of pounds worth of high street products to flog on eBay before she was finally tracked down by police - and says being arrested was the best thing that could have happened to her

CROOK: Kristina Roberts led the life of a professional criminal for five years before she was caught [CATERS]

A mother addicted to shoplifting, who raked in £10,000 selling stolen goods on eBay, says she is glad she was caught.

Kristina Roberts, 40, led the life of a professional thief for five years believing she was invincible.

While on benefits she visited Hull city centre five days a week to steal everything from sweets to arts and crafts equipment to sell online.

Her set-up was so sophisticated that she even stole to order for neighbours, friends and acquaintances.

Now she claims she is pleased she ended up in court and that police have put paid to her life of crime.

She said: "I'm really glad I got caught when I did. It's the best thing that could have happened to me, otherwise I would have carried on and ended up in prison.

"I've admitted to myself now that I was addicted and I'm getting counselling to help me stop.

"I've promised my family that I'll never do it again and I won't."

Kristina sneakily plundered shops by going to the till and paying for a few items while she had a stash of goods hidden in her bag.

In just 20 months she listed 1,702 items on eBay.

ROBBER: Kristina says she stole to provide for her family [CATERS]

She claims she started stealing to provide for her family after she was devastated by her partner of 16 years' death in a 2008 car crash.

Not long after losing her partner, Kristina's dad and her best friend also died.

Stealing became a coping strategy and every time something bad happened in her life, she would steal more.

"I didn't like doing it. I hated it. But I was doing it for my kids.

"Yes, you can survive on benefits, if you give your kids cheap food, but I wanted mine eating fruit and vegetables.

"I don't take drugs. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I wasn't doing it to feed a habit. I was doing it to provide for the kids.

"I was a law-abiding citizen until my partner died. I would not have stolen a penny goody from the corner shop."

The money-making scheme was only uncovered when police found her with parcels of sweets from B&M worth £13.20 and paints from Hobbycraft topping £62 ready to post in the backseat of her car.

Since walking free from court last month with a 12-month suspended sentence, Kristina has been caring for her son Reece and trying to turn her life around.

"Getting caught frightened me. I thought I was going to prison. I had to work out where my children would live and I never want to have to do that again," she said.

She will not allow herself to go shopping alone in case she gets the urge to steal and is attempting to make an honest living with a new business buying old furniture from charity shops and restoring it to sell.